Alan Wake: Five Biggest Surprises

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After years of waiting, it's almost here. So what blew us away?

By Patrick Kolan

It's hard to believe that it's been five years since Alan Wake was first conceived by developer Remedy – but here we are. For the first couple of years, there was very little to go on – just a handful of screenshots, very vague environmental video to show off some early tech demos, and a story summary that sounded very un-gamer-centric. Writers? On holidays? Darkness? Forests? Where was the structure? How would this all come together?

Years later, we finally have concrete answers – and now that we've seen a fair bit of the game, its nuances and concepts are finally coming into focus. By the gods, it looks great – that's the first thing you'll notice. But delving deeper into the experience, Alan Wake is going to shake things up for the thriller/horror genre. These are the five biggest surprises – the things that knocked our striped socks off – about Alan Wake.

The Structure

It might seem like a strange point to be impressed with – and it's not the first game to do it, but Alan Wake's structure is very interesting. The demo, for instance, actually begins with a quick video reel in the form of a 'last time on Alan Wake' montage. The game takes cues from serial drama television, reinforcing how critical it's going to be to keep track of the characters, their motivations and your decisions as the player.

After the recap, an 'episode' kicks off. Again, just like a TV show, Alan Wake's stages appear to be hemmed into tightly-woven narratives. This means that, while you're not going to see much in the way of sandboxy freedom, you're going to get a cohesive storytelling experience, where the action really ramps up to the conclusion of that episode. What's more, these episodes will also be replayable, which is perfect for those who want to try to do a little experimentation along the way.

In the example of the episode we saw, you start off with some narration; from there, you're introduced to your literary agent, Barry Wheeler, and his neuroses and allergies. Things begin to get strange as you leave the relative safety of your cabin and press into the wilderness. This is where the next cool point comes into play.

Previously on Alan Wake... you were sh*tscared of the dark.

Flares and Lights

The humble flare. It saves lives – and holy moley it looks cool. In Alan Wake, fending off the darkness becomes critical; the quaint mountain town slowly seeps into night, and in the darkness, bad things come to play. When Alan triggered a handheld flare for the first time, we reeled back. With the 5.1 channel surround sound bellowing, the flare crackled to life. On screen, everything around you within ten yards is lit up in brilliant and menacing red as the flare gushes screen-filling plumes of smoke – thick and persistent in the air. It might seem silly or trite, but this is the best looking in-game flare we've ever seen – and it's not just detail – it's a gameplay tool, which is key.

You see, as you wander towards your goal, humanoid monsters begin to trundle out of the darkness – in towards Alan. If you equip the flare, the bright light of the flare causes them to sizzle like vampires in sunlight. They spark and crackle, and after a little bit of exposure to this intense light, it makes them far more vulnerable to your gunfire.

The lighting in Alan Wake is incredibly evocative. By using your flashlight as a weapon, it suddenly becomes a very important resource. Without your flashlight, you could soon find yourself overwhelmed by the forces of darkness – be it monsters or even possessed tractors and inanimate objects. However, all it takes is a quick burst of direct light to halt them in their path. Did we also mention this stuff looks utterly amazing?